What Matters November: MedTech News You Need to Know

Overheard at GMM HQ

"If it didn't show up in your Instagram story, did it really even happen?" - Mia Benenate, on the popularity of video in content marketing strategy.

WHAT THE INDUSTRY IS BUZZING ABOUT

IS THERE A VACCINE FOR RACISM?

No, no there is not. You know who knows that? Minority doctors who, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, face a daily barrage of microaggressions as well as overt prejudice.

SO LIKE, ARE YOU A REAL DOCTOR?

Yes, yes they are. Despite accounting for one third of the population, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans account for only nine percent of physicians, an uncommon enough occurrence that several in the study reported being mistaken for lower level hospital staff, including janitors. Yes, for real.

THE 411

Please tell 'Murica that Sanjay Gupta isn't the only minority doctor around. "Residency program leaders and accreditation bodies should work to address these challenges not only as an important wellness issue, but also to minimize potential damage to the minority pipeline," said the study's lead author.

YOU KNOW, FOR THE KIDS

The FDA is hoping to crack down on the troubling rise in teen vaping by seeking information from 21 electronic cigarette manufacturers to assess whether the products are being marketed illegally and how they intend to prevent teens from using their products. Pro tip: Stop making non-tobacco flavors like "Galactic Milk" and "Not-Cho Cheese Fauxritos."

CAN TECHNOLOGY OUTSMART TEENS?

Some manufacturers have said the Agency's requirement that any new e-cigarettes must undergo review before entering the market prevents them from introducing new products that could curb youth use, including bluetooth features that could disable them near schools. While the FDA is "very open to that kind of discussion," teenagers are also very open to knowing way more about bluetooth technology than adults, so TBD on that one.

THE 411

"Just Say No" hasn't been working for some time now, and the FDA is looking for new ways to keep the new drugs out of young hands.

THIS PETRI DISH REALLY BRINGS OUT YOUR EYES

Biologists at Johns Hopkins University grew human retinas from scratch to determine how cells that allow people to see in color are made in a study that lays the foundation to develop therapies for eye diseases such as color blindness and macular degeneration. Meanwhile, we don't even make brownies from scratch.

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

While most vision research is done on mice and fish, neither of those species has the dynamic daytime and color vision of humans. So researchers created the human eyes they needed—with stem cells. In other news, mice and fish have never been more grateful for their shoddy vision.

THE 411

"Trichromatic color vision delineates us from most other mammals," said lead author Kiara Eldred. "Our research is really trying to figure out what pathways these cells take to give us that special color vision." So it looks like we're one step closer to understanding exactly what allows us the unique gift of being able to separate our laundry just so. #blessed

GOOD TO KNOW

The bad news is that it turns out pretty much anything can kill you (water, coffee, sugar...). The good news is that you'd have to consume an awful lot to actually croak (40 glasses, 70 cups, five pounds, respectively). Something to keep in mind with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away.

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